Abstract: This invention is generally concerned with reduced power consumption signal processing methods and apparatus, and in particular with techniques for jointly controlling power supply voltage and clock frequency in a receiver to reduce power consumption. A method of reducing the power consumption of a data receiver is described. The receiver is configured to process a received signal using repeated implementations of substantially the same first data processing element, a rate of said repetitions being determined by a clock frequency of said first data processing element.

Abstract: The present invention relates to re-configurable signal processing modules in particular, although not exclusively, for wireless communications terminals. In general terms in one aspect the present invention provides a system for reconfiguring a signal processing module having a number of re-configurable resources such as re-configurable hardware blocks including ASIC's and field programmable logic gate arrays (FPGA's), as well as software modules for implementing different functions and which can be run on a DSP or other processing platform within the signal processing module. The module may be a mobile terminal or a base station in a wireless communications system for example. The system comprises means for generating a commands data structure comprising configuration commands for the resources, and may further comprise means for communicating this data structure to the signal processing module. The module has means for reconfiguring itself using this data structure.

Abstract: The present invention relates to processing apparatus utilising dynamic scaling of voltage (DVS), and in particular although not exclusively to a controller for such apparatus. The invention is especially applicable to software defined radio (SDR), but is not so limited and may be applied to other re-configurable electronic systems. The present invention provides a controller for a processing apparatus having a plurality of processing resources, at least some of said resources having controllable supply voltage and/or frequency; the controller comprising: means for scheduling operations on said resources, at least some of said operations having a predetermined deadline by which the operation must be performed; means for determining a voltage and/or frequency profile for a said operation having a said deadline; and means for instructing the resources to perform said operations according to said schedule and said profile.